Continuous feed cinematograph apparatus



July 27, 1937. H. s. RYLAND 2,088,536

CONTINUOUS FEED CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

July 27, 1937. H. s. RYLAND CONTINUOUS FEED CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS I Filed Feb. 5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mam me M July 27, 1937. s, RYLAND I 2,088,536

CONTINUOUS FEED CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5', 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 3

avf/w WW F ig. 4.

July 27, 1937. H. s. RYLAND 2,088,536

CONTINUOUS FEED CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS Filed Feb. 5, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l 'I I HHH IIHIWI Patented July 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE CONTINUOUS FEED CINEMATOGRAPH APPARATUS Herbert Sidney Ryland, Catford, England 1 Claim.

This invention relates to optical systems for use in cinematography, whether for taking cinematograph pictures or for projecting them. The principal object of the invention is to enable the film to be moved in a continuous manner instead of intermittently. A further object is to provide means whereby the operator can adjust the optical conditions to obtain a projected image on the screen which is stationary notwithstanding that the film from which it is projected is moving continuously.

The invention belongs to that class of device in which a rotating optical element is used for producing relative movement, in a direction 5 transverse to the optical axis, between the conjugate foci of the objective lens which forms the image. According to this invention the optical element consists of a number of collective lenses mounted in the form of a ring on a rotating member so that they are interposed in turn between the continuously moving'film and the objective lens. The principal focus of the system comprising the objective lens and any one of the collective lenses is nearer to the objective 5 lens than is the principal focus of the objective lens itself. The film is, of course, placed at the principal focus of the said system. The collective lens may then be regarded as forming a virtual image of the film, which virtual image oc- 3Q cupies the position of the principal focus of the objective lens alone. The film is moved continuously perpendicularly to the optical axis and the collective lenses are moved in the same sense but at a higher speed than the film. The ratio '35 between the linear speed of the collective lenses and the linear speed of the film is made equal tothe ratio between the distance from the rear principal point of any one of the collective lenses to the virtual focus aforesaid, and the distance 40 from the film to the said virtual focus.

The rotating member carrying the aforesaid collective lenses is mounted to rotate on a fixed tubular spindle within which is a reflecting surface and means are provided for projecting light 45 along the interior of the hollow spindle, which light is reflected by the reflecting surfaces radially outwards through the film, the collective lenses and the objective lens.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the optical system according to this invention,

Figure 2 is a similar diagram showing the parts in a different position,

Figures 3 and 3a together constitute a side elevation of a cinematograph projector embodying the invention,

Figure 4 is a plan of Figures 3 and 3a partly in section, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a part of the ring of collective lenses.

Referring first to Figure l, Iii is an objective lens represented diagrammatically as a simple double-convex lens, I 3 represents a series of nonachromatic lenses arranged in the form of a rotatable ring with their optical axes radial to the axis of rotation of the ring and I4 represents a film which is a sensitive film in the case of a cinematograph camera and a positive transparency in the case of a projector. The figure may be taken to represent either a camera or a projector. The point I6 is the principal focus of the objective lens I0, and the point I8 on the film I4 is the principal focus of the system consisting of the two lenses II] and I2. The film I4 is moved continuously in the direction of the arrow at a speed '0, and the lenses I2 are moved in the direction of the arrow so that their rear principal points have a velocity equal to where a is the distance from the rear principal point of the lens I2 to the point I6 and bis the distance from the point I8 to the point I6.

In Figure 1 the axis of the lens I2 is coincident with the axis of the lens It]. In Figure 2 the axis of the lens I2 is displaced downwards and the point I 8 on the film is also displaced downwards, the displacement of the lens being times the displacement of the point I8. It will be clear that under these conditions the virtual image of the points I8 formed by the lens I2 Will still be at the point I6 on the axis of the lens II]. Thus, in the case of a projector the image of the point It projected on to the screen by the lens ill will occupy the same position as it did when the lens I2 was co-axial with the lens III as in Figure 1. In the case of a camera the image of a stationary point in the scene being photographed, which would have been formed at the point IE on the axis in. the ab sence of the lens I2, will instead be formed at the point I8 on the film, which point is stationary with respect to the film. A lens 2I which may be either collective or dispersive may be mounted in front of the film so as to be adjustable by hand in known manner. This lens is of weak power and is used to vary the effective power of the lenses I2. If it is placed near the film its effect is negligible and its effect increases as it is moved away from the film. Such an adjusting lens can be used in a projector to secure by trial the exact conditions necessary to maintain the projected image stationary upon the screen.

Referring now to Figures 3, 3a, 4 and 5 which represent a projector according to this invention, the objective lens I0 is shown mounted in a tube I l sliding in a sleeve l3 and movable therein for focussing by means of a focussing knob IS. A disc II carrying a belt pulley I9 is mounted to rotate freely upon a tubular spindle 20. The disc I! has fixed to it near its periphery a series of thirty-two right-angled brackets 22 which together form a regular polygon and to the edge of each bracket is fixed a collective lens [2. All the lenses [2 are of equal focal length and they may be simple double-convex non-achromatic lenses, the objective lens I0 being preferably over-corrected chromatically to compensate for the chromatic aberration of the lenses [2. The parts are so arranged that the axis of each lens I2 comes into coincidence with the axis of the lens II] as the disc is rotated. This rotation is effected by means of a belt 26 passing around the pulley l9 and driven by a suitable source of power.

A film gate 28 is supported by the fixed spindle 2|] with its centre on the axis of the lens [0, and the film 30 is driven by a sprocket wheel 32 to which is secured a gearwheel 34 meshing with internal teeth 36 on a ring 38 fixed to the disc H. The film is led from a supply reel (not shown) over a guide roller 40 the axis of rotation of which is inclined as shown, and it is led to a take-up reel (also not shown) over a similar in clined guide roller 42. The purpose of the inclination of the axes of the guide rollers is to give the film a twist sufficient to enable it to clear the outer edges of the lenses [2.

The sprocket 32 imparts to the film a linear speed which is half the linear speed of the rear principal points of the lenses l2. The point l6 which in the absence of the lenses l2 would be in focus on the screen is as far behind the film 30 as the rear principal point of one of the lenses I2 is in front of the film. Thus, the ratio is equal to 2 in this particular case although it might have any other value provided that it is equal to the ratio of the two linear velocities.

The lamphouse 44 contains a source of light (not shown) the light from which after passing through a condenser 48 is reflected along the hollow spindle 20 by a plane metal mirror 50 which is preferably water cooled. A second mirror 52 mounted within the hollow spindle 20 at an angle of 45 to its axis reflects the light through an aperture 54 in the side of the spindle on to the film. It would of course be possible to arrange the lamphouse 44 in line with the spindle 26, in which case the mirror 50 would be eliminated, but it is preferred to use the arrangement shown as it is more compact.

The space between each lens [2 and the film gate is bounded by a pair of radial partitions 56 secured to the disc I1. This ensures that no scattered light shall be projected on to the screen.

When the disc I! is turned slowly enough to enable the sequence of operations to be observed on the screen there is, of course, a moment at which the image of one complete frame fills the screen. As the rotation continues a narrow line of demarcation moves downwards across the screen but the picture or image remains complete. As the line of demarcation progresses across the screen the part of the image below it is an image of the frame which is leaving the gate and the part of the image above it is due to the frame which is entering the gate. Thus, if these two frames represent a still picture no change is seen on the screen at all; the narrow line of demarcation passes across the screen but the image as a whole does not change. If any part of the scene which was taken moved between the two exposures then the change of position of that part will take place progressively on the screen as the line of demarcation moves across it. The screen is illuminated at all times and thus not only are the steps of movement from one frame to the next performed gradually upon the projected picture but there is a complete absence of intermittence of illumination. The result is that the flickering which is seen in ordinary cinematograph projections is almost completely absent.

The camera according to this invention has the same essential features as are shown in the drawing's and it is deemed to be unnecessary to illustrate the camera separately. In either case no shutter is required and the screen in the case of the projector or the sensitive film in the case of a camera is illuminated continuously. This is especially advantageous in the case of a camera be cause the effective exposure time is longer than it can be in normal cinematograph cameras with intermittent feed and a shutter.

In the foregoing description and in the claim appended hereto it is assumed for the sake of simplicity that the object photographed in the case of a camera or the screen in the case of a projector is at infinite distance, and the optical conditions of the system have been referred to the principal focus. It is to be understood that as the object or the screen, as the case may be, is at a finite distance the term principal focus should be taken to mean the actual focus of the object or of the screen.

I claim:-

A cinematograph projector comprising in combination an objective lens, a rotatable disc, a

fixed tubular spindle therefor, a ring of similar collective lenses mounted upon said disc with their axes radial to the axis of rotation thereof, means for rotating said disc to bring each of the collective lenses in turn behind and co-axial with the objective lens, means for continuously feeding a film across the axis of the objective lens in the same direction as the movement of the collective lenses across said axis but at a lower speed, said film being situated at the principal focus of the system comprising the objective lens and any one of the collective lenses, means for projecting light along the interior of the hollow spindle and a refleeting surface within said hollow spindle adapted to reflect said light through the film, the collective lenses and the objective lens.

HERBERT SIDNEY RYLAND- 

